* * *
I wonder since when he noticed I was me.
Naturally, this is what I’m most curious about.
“I suspected it since the training center rooftop, and I was certain at the hotel.”
“You mean the hotel buffet. When we went with the trainees.”
“Yes.”
Vow violation rate change! Please check ٩(°̀0°́)و
It’s not at a dangerous level, but still, be careful, careful! (`ヘ´*)ノ
Currently applying 1 S-class Vow Oath.
Counterparty (Gaius Jung)
Vow Violation Rate
■■■■□□□□□□
The day the violation rate jumped by two bars was exactly that day.
Even now, it remained at four bars.
“It’s strange. When I bumped into you at the center, the violation rate skyrocketed, but now it’s stable. Even though my identity has been revealed this openly.”
“As I thought, was there something in the Vow Oath that I didn’t know about?”
“The Vow Oath you know is…”
- Seohwa will faithfully participate in the Grade 6 dungeon raid.
- Upon completion, Seohwa will claim the hidden rewards.
- Immediately after, Seohwa will vanish from the world forever.
- If the oath is broken, Seohwa will lose all awakening abilities and become a non-Awakened.
“That’s it, right?”
“Yes. I even confirmed with Gaius Jung that the oath was terminated. [Mind Reading] told me it was the truth… but you still didn’t appear.”
Because of the [Magna Carta], I cannot disclose the additional oath to anyone. How should I convey this to Kang Yigeon?
Between that and the new hidden mission to ‘Gather clues for ■■■,’ I don’t know why everything that happens is something I can’t talk about.
“What exactly is it that I don’t know?”
“I can’t tell you. Because of the Vow Oath, it’s a secret only Gaius Jung and I know. All I can tell you now is that it’s very strange that the violation rate isn’t going wild, even though I’ve broken my disappearance and am talking to you like this. Why isn’t this a violation? I’m more curious about that reason.”
“That is simple. Back then, I intended to reveal your existence to the world. Now, I have no intention of doing so.”
“What do you mean…”
“I guessed there were details in the Vow Oath I didn’t know, so I made contracts with every Covenanter in the world. To find the loopholes in the Vow Oath.”
Kang Yigeon had spent massive capital to meet every Covenanter on earth.
He made oaths with everyone regardless of rank.
To secure various experimental results, he didn’t care if the conditions were light or heavy.
He repeated the process of terminating and re-signing until he finally found it.
Ultimately, a Vow Oath is a skill, and a skill is based on human will.
For example, if the condition is ‘Not to dye hair red,’ the definition of color is an ambiguous matter that can be interpreted differently depending on the person.
Some might consider only blood-red as red, while others might consider even a light blush on the cheeks as red.
Accordingly, if the oath-taker does not consider reddish-brown or black as ‘red,’ the system will not judge it as red, following the taker’s will.
“That… makes sense. Since the system acknowledged that ‘Lee Yuje’ wasn’t breaking the disappearance. It respected my will.”
“Exactly.”
The content of the [Magna Carta] is Seohwa disappearing from the world.
If the disappearance is broken, it’s a violation.
However, Kang Yigeon had no intention of breaking Seohwa’s disappearance.
He would not reveal Seohwa’s identity to anyone—not to the Danbaek Guild Leader, not to the Director or Commissioner of the Bureau, not to any single person.
Very firmly and resolutely.
“When you first woke up at the center, I was flustered… My first thought was that I had to call people and catch you. That’s why the violation rate spiked.”
“And now, you have a strong will not to reveal me to anyone.”
“Yes. The system respected that will.”
As if waiting, a message popped up.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･ The System is on the side of the Awakened °❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･
Yes. Now I really believe it.
Kang Yigeon smiled while looking into the air, as if the same system window appeared for him.
Then, sensing my gaze, he looked down.
An immeasurable affection wavered in his purple eyes.
Feeling shy, I gripped my coffee mug.
“Still, it was too dangerous. You shouldn’t blindly trust people just because they’re Awakened. If the Covenanters had harbored any ill will…”
“It didn’t matter. I was desperate enough to sell my soul to the devil if it meant finding you.”
I was speechless. Why does my heart keep thumping?
“Anyway, I guess I can reveal my identity to someone with a strong will like you. If I explain it sufficiently beforehand.”
“I thought of that too… but it’s dangerous. No one else can be as firm as I am. Even if they know it in their heads, deep in their hearts, there will be a dormant desire to let you mingle with the rest of the world.”
“True. Everyone is eager to roll me up like a kimbap.”
A question suddenly occurred to me.
“Then, don’t you want to roll me up like a kimbap, Mr. Kang Yigeon?”
“If you wish, I will do it.”
“By yourself?”
“Yes.”
“I mean, do you really not have even a tiny bit of desire for me to mix back into society?”
“I don’t.”
The answer came back faster than ever. Kang Yigeon spoke with a firm will once again.
“I am satisfied even now. Hiding you in a space only I know. Thinking that for the time being, only I can meet you, makes me more than content.”
“That’s… a bit scary.”
“You are the one who made me this way.”
Kang Yigeon’s upper body had been leaning toward me since he sat down, and I only just realized it.
We were too close.
And he didn’t seem like the type to usually leave three shirt buttons undone.
His purple eyes seemed to glint unusually too. It almost looked like madness.
I swallowed hard in the strange tension when Kang Yigeon suddenly took off the watch on his wrist.
It seemed like the Danbaek Guild was constantly trying to contact him.
“Take the call. It must be chaos over there right now.”
“Our conversation comes first.”
“We can’t finish our conversation in one sitting. Let’s take it slow from now on.”
Kang Yigeon seemed to agree as he put the watch back on.
However, he didn’t answer the messages.
“I will handle this matter on my own. Before that, there is something I need to know. Can you no longer use Lee Yuje?”
“Once he dies, I can’t use him. I have to make a new identity. Ah, I have to work hard to create a resume again. There’s too little freedom of identity in our country.”
“How did you register Lee Yuje’s detailed history in the computer system?”
“I have a hacker who does anything for money. In the underworld.”
“Then you’ll have to enter the Incheon Port dungeon with a different identity.”
“Absolutely. I have to face Gaius Jung in person to terminate the oath.”
“Understood. I will arrange things on that end. There are new clothes, so please go wash up.”
Sensing he was about to get up, I felt flustered.
“The New Humanity elder who entered the Market early to attempt a bombing is dead. It’ll be a headache to clean up. It’s partly my fault for being careless, so let’s solve it together.”
“Yes. You’re right. It is a headache.”
“…….”
“You only do the fighting; I handle the complicated matters.”
Kang Yigeon smiled.
It was a face so gentle, soft, and sweet that every tender description seemed appropriate.
Thinking of him from the first timeline made me lose my words.
“Today has been a very long day. Please rest.”
Kang Yigeon took his phone and stepped out of the villa.
I leaned back against the sofa. I felt relieved.
Since Lee Yuje, who was part of the tracking team, is dead, I have to figure out how to enter the Incheon Port dungeon.
What Gaius Jung is up to, and what the D-Day Project is.
Many problems remain.
But I met Kang Yigeon.
Finally… I faced him as Seohwa.
Just the fact that I could look at him and talk to him… the biggest and heaviest problem was solved.
I acted calm in front of him, but my heart had been full the whole time.
While I was alone, I even pinched my cheek.
It hurt a little, and that made me so happy.
∗ ∗ ∗
I had been quite exhausted from soul power depletion, so I slept for a long time.
When I woke up, the sun was high in the sky, and I instinctively realized that a whole day had passed, not just the morning.
I was supposed to let go of one worry, not two or three!
As I clutched my head in self-reproach, I heard a voice outside.
“Your master has woken up.”
–Kkyuing!
Soon, Kang Yigeon entered with Little Snake attached to his finger.
I had summoned him and introduced him to Kang Yigeon before I fell asleep.
It was a reunion that could move one to tears.
He had stuck to Kang Yigeon’s hand, crying kkyuung kkyuung, and he was still like that today.
“You can sleep more.”
“Sleep more? You should have woken me up. How could a person sleep this much?”
“You were sleeping so peacefully.”
“We have a lot to organize and a lot to talk about. I’ll wash up and come out, so wait for me.”
“Drink some water first.”
Kang Yigeon was holding a cup of water in his other hand.
Even the water temperature, adjusted to be a bit more lukewarm than yesterday’s coffee, made my heart flutter.
* * *
